Anna Noakes has performed concerti with major London Orchestras as well as giving recitals, as both soloist and chamber musician, at the QEH, Wigmore Hall and Purcell Room and at many of Britain’s most respected Festivals, such as Brighton, Leicester, Salisbury, City of London and Dartington. Composers such as Martin Yates, Cecilia McDowall, Dominique Le Gendre, Elgar Howath and Simon Holt have been inspired to write for her.

Anna has recorded numerous CD’s featuring solo and flute chamber music for ASV, Naxos, Dutton Epoch, Guild and Kingdom, receiving Gramophone Magazine’s coveted ‘Critics Choice’ a number of times. Anna broadcasts for BBC Radio3 and Classic FM and works as Guest Principal Flute with the LPO, Philharmonia, RPO, ASMF, and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, together with OSJ, Manning Camerata, CLS and Briien Sinfonia.

She now spends a great deal of her time recording music for Film and TV, scores that include, Harry Potter, Shrek, Da Vinci Code, Casino Royale and Love Actually to name a few. Anna is Professor of Flute at Trinity College of Music, and for the past eighteen years has run her own Summer School for talented flute students.

Stephen Ellery originally studied as a composer and conductor in Krakow, Poland and then specialised in conducting in St Petersburg, Russia, under Maestro Ilia Musin from 1991-95. Stephen is an experienced orchestral conductor who has recently conducted the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) in London, the Krakow Filharmonia in Poland and Osaka Philharmonic in Japan among others.

He has also recently been appointed Associate Conductor of the English Concert Orchestra and English Studio Opera. From 2005 he has been a regular guest conductor of the Locrian Ensemble of London with whom he has performed a wide spectrum of works by composers from Bach, Mozart and Tchaikovsky to Bartók, Barber, Britten and Polish composer Marek Stachowski.

In Poland this year he has conducted music by Philip Glass and Aarvo Part with the Filharmonia Krakowska. With the Bialystok Filharmonia Podlaska alongside Chopin Prizewinner Kevin Kenner, he performed Chopin’s First Piano Concerto and was re-engaged to close their season with a special performance of La Bohème.

The London Gala Orchestra was originally formed to accompany ballet companies visiting London such as the Bolshoi, Australian, Canadian, Stuttgart, Moscow, Berlin and the Japanese Takarazuka Dance Theatre. It played with them at London’s Coliseum and Sadler’s Wells as well as on their tours of Britain.

The orchestra has since become heavily involved in popular concerts which appeal to a wide cross-section of the public. In this context it has worked with performers such as the musical comedian Rainer Hersch, the broadcaster Trevor MacDonald, the Drambuie Pipe Band, the folk group Szaparo and the Munich based Music Productions Germany. Every year it performs at the Johann Strauss Society of Great Britain’s annual dinner. It has also provided music for the BAFTA nominated short film Red Peppers.

The L.G.O. soon became recognised on London’s musical scene and was invited by major choral societies (Royal Choral, London Welsh and the Malcolm Sargent) to accompany them at London’s Royal Albert and Royal Festival Halls. It was also a regular guest at the E.R.M.A. childrens’ concerts on the South Bank and the Arthur Davison family concerts at the Fairfield Halls Croydon – an association which still continues today. More recently it has been engaged to perform gala concerts at London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall and Birmingham’s Symphony Hall and has performed in the presence of her Majesty the Queen and Prince Edward.

For many years the L.G.O. has presented its own series of New Year concerts across the country as well as candle-lit concerts in period buildings. Recently the orchestra has been increasingly busy with open air concerts in the grounds of some of the England’s great houses. During the 2008 summer season Steve Bell conducted the orchestra for nineteen concerts in stately homes and cathedral across the country which included performances with Paul Potts, Hayley Westenra, All Angels, Teatro and Alfie Boe.